Wireless patient monitoring device

ABSTRACT

A device for obtaining physiological information of a medical patient and wirelessly transmitting the obtained physiological information to a wireless receiver.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e)to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/597,126, filed Feb.9, 2012, titled Wireless Patient Monitoring System, U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 61/625,584, filed Apr. 17, 2012, titledWireless Patient Monitoring Device, and U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/703,713, filed Sep. 20, 2012, titled WirelessPatient Monitoring Device, all of which applications are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND Field

In general, the disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses forwirelessly monitoring a patient's physiological information.

Description of the Related Art

Hospitals, nursing homes, and other patient care facilities typicallyinclude patient monitoring devices at one or more bedsides in thefacility. Patient monitoring devices generally include sensors,processing equipment, and displays for obtaining and analyzing a medicalpatient's physiological parameters such as blood oxygen saturationlevel, respiratory rate, and the like. Clinicians, including doctors,nurses, and other medical personnel, use the physiological parametersobtained from patient monitors to diagnose illnesses and to prescribetreatments. Clinicians also use the physiological parameters to monitorpatients during various clinical situations to determine whether toincrease the level of medical care given to patients.

For example, the patient monitoring devices can be used to monitor apulse oximeter. Pulse oximetry is a widely accepted noninvasiveprocedure for measuring the oxygen saturation level of arterial blood,an indicator of a person's oxygen supply. A typical pulse oximetrysystem utilizes an optical sensor clipped onto a fingertip to measurethe relative volume of oxygenated hemoglobin in pulsatile arterial bloodflowing within the fingertip. Oxygen saturation (SpO₂), pulse rate, aplethysmograph waveform, perfusion index (PI), pleth variability index(PVI), methemoglobin (MetHb), carboxyhemoglobin (CoHb), total hemoglobin(tHb), glucose, and/or otherwise can be displayed on a monitoraccordingly.

The patient monitoring devices can also communicate with an acousticsensor comprising an acoustic transducer, such as a piezoelectricelement. The acoustic sensor can detect respiratory and other biologicalsounds of a patient and provide signals reflecting these sounds to apatient monitor. An example of such an acoustic sensor, which canimplement any of the acoustic sensing functions described herein, isdescribed in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/643,939, filed Dec. 21, 2009,titled “Acoustic Sensor Assembly,” and in U.S. application Ser. No.61/313,645, filed Mar. 12, 2010, titled “Acoustic Respiratory MonitoringSensor Having Multiple Sensing Elements,” the disclosures of which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Blood pressure is another example of a physiological parameter that canbe monitored. Many devices allow blood pressure to be measured bysphygmomanometer systems that utilize an inflatable cuff applied to aperson's arm. The cuff is inflated to a pressure level high enough toocclude a major artery. When air is slowly released from the cuff, bloodpressure can be estimated by detecting “Korotkoff” sounds using astethoscope or other detection means placed over the artery. OtherExamples of physiological parameters that can be measured includerespiration rate, blood analyte measurements, such as oxygen saturation,and ECG.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the disclosure is a wireless patient monitoring deviceincluding one or more sensors configured to obtain physiologicalinformation. The one or more sensors can include an optical sensor, anacoustic respiratory sensor, and/or a blood pressure measurement device.Other sensors, including but not limited to, an EEG, ECG, and/or asedation state sensor can also be used with the present disclosure. Theone or more sensors are connected to a wireless monitor configured toreceive the sensor data and to wirelessly transmit sensor data orphysiological parameters reflective of the sensor data to a bedsidemonitor. The bedside monitor can be configured to output thephysiological parameters, communication channel, and/or communicationstatus.

Another aspect of the disclosure is directed toward a system configuredto wirelessly communicate physiological information, the systemincluding a battery, a housing, a rechargeable electrical storagemodule, and a memory module configured to store wireless communicationinformation.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the wireless communicationinformation stored on the data storage component facilitatescommunication between the wireless monitor and the bedside monitor. Theinformation may be a unique identifier used to pair the wireless monitorwith the bedside monitor. The information may be a password used to makesure only the correct receiver has access to the transmittedphysiological data. The information may be channel information to makecertain the wireless monitor and bedside monitor communicate on the samechannel.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the bedside monitor can be configuredto receive and recharge the removable battery. The battery may include adata storage component configured to store wireless communicationinformation. In some embodiments, the bedside monitor communicateswireless communication information to the battery through a hard wiredconnection, and the battery stores the information. In some embodiments,the battery communicates wireless communication information to thebedside monitor through a hard wired connection.

Another aspect of the disclosure is directed toward a bedside monitorconfigured to receive the wireless monitor. In some embodiments, thebedside monitor communicates wireless communication information to thewireless monitor when the wireless monitor is physically andelectrically connected with the bedside monitor. In some embodiments,the wireless monitor communicates information to the bedside monitorwhen the wireless monitor is physically and electrically connected withthe bedside monitor.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the wireless monitor can beconfigured to transmit physiological data over a first wirelesstechnology when a signal strength of the first wireless technology issufficiently strong and transmit physiological data over a secondwireless technology when the signal strength of the first wirelesstechnology is not sufficiently strong.

In yet another aspect of the disclosure, the wireless monitor can beconfigured to transmit physiological data over a first wirelesstechnology when the wireless monitor is within a pre-determined distancefrom the wireless receiver and transmit physiological data over a secondwireless technology when the wireless monitor is not within apre-determined distance from the bedside monitor.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the battery includes a display. Thedisplay can be configured to activate when the wireless transmittertransmits physiological data over a first wireless technology anddeactivate when the wireless transmitter transmits physiological dataover a second wireless technology.

One aspect of the disclosure is a method of wirelessly monitoringphysiological information. The method includes providing a batteryincluding a data storage component, physically connecting the battery toa bedside monitor, storing data on the data storage component of thebattery, connecting the battery to a wireless monitor, and transmittingphysiological data from the wireless monitor to the bedside monitor.

In another aspect of the disclosure, transmitting physiological datafrom the wireless monitor to the bedside monitor includes transmittingphysiological data over a first wireless technology when the wirelessmonitor is within a pre-determined distance from the bedside monitor andtransmitting physiological data over a second wireless technology whenthe wireless monitor is not within a pre-determined distance from thebedside monitor. In some embodiments of the disclosure, the firstwireless technology is Bluetooth or ZigBee, and the second wirelesstechnology is Wi-Fi or cellular telephony.

In yet another aspect of the disclosure, transmitting physiological datafrom the wireless monitor to the bedside monitor includes transmittingphysiological data over a first wireless technology when a signalstrength of the first wireless technology is sufficiently strong andtransmitting physiological data over a second wireless technology whenthe signal strength of the first wireless technology is not sufficientlystrong.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the wireless monitor can beconfigured to be coupled to an arm band attached to the patient.Alternatively, the wireless monitor can be configured to be coupled to apatient's belt, can be carried by the patient (e.g., via a shoulderstrap or handle), or can be placed on the patient's bed next to thepatient, among other locations.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the wireless monitor batteryincludes a display screen. When the wireless monitor is within apre-determined distance from the bedside monitor and transmits data overBluetooth or Zigbee, the display screen deactivates. When the wirelessmonitor is not within a pre-determined distance from the bedside monitorand transmits data over Wi-Fi or cellular telephony, the display screenactivates. Alternatively, independent of the communication protocol usedby the device, when the wireless monitor is a pre-determined distancefrom the bedside monitor, the display screen activates. Similarly whenthe wireless monitor is within a pre-determined distance to the bedsidemonitor, the display screen deactivates.

In certain aspects of the disclosure, a blood pressure device can beused. The blood pressure device can be coupled to a medical patient anda wireless transceiver electrically coupled with the blood pressuredevice. The wireless transceiver can wirelessly transmit blood pressuredata received by the blood pressure device and physiological datareceived from one or more physiological sensors coupled to the bloodpressure device. To further increase patient mobility, in someembodiments, a single cable can be provided for connecting multipledifferent types of sensors together.

In certain aspects of the disclosure, a wireless patient monitoringdevice for measuring one or more parameters can be secured to an arm ofthe patient. For example, a wireless measurement device for measuringoxygen saturation and respiration rate can be secured to the arm of apatient. The wireless monitoring device can connect to an oximeter probeand an acoustic respiration probe. The monitor can have a display screenand/or can transmit wireless information to a bedside monitor. In anembodiment, a docking station can be provided for the wirelessmonitoring device to dock it to a docking station forming a bedsidemonitor.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the patient monitoring devices can becoupled to a blood pressure cuff and measure blood pressure.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the patient monitoring system caninclude a sensor configured to obtain physiological information, ananchor connected to the sensor, and a wireless transceiver connected tothe anchor. A first cable can connect the sensor to the anchor and asecond cable can connect the anchor to the wireless transceiver. Incertain aspects, the anchor can adhere to the patient or be carried bythe patient in any manner discussed herein.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the patient monitoring system caninclude one or more sensors configured to obtain physiologicalinformation and a wireless transceiver configured to receive thephysiological information. The wireless transceiver can include ahousing having a first side and a second side. At least one connectorcan be positioned on the first side and at least one connector can bepositioned on the second side. In certain aspects, the first side ofhousing can be opposite the second side of the housing.

In some aspects of the disclosure, a docking station can include abedside monitor having a docking port configured to receive a firstpatient monitor and a docking station adapter configured to adapt thedocking port to receive a second patient monitor. The second patientmonitor can be a different size than the first patient monitor. Incertain aspects, the first patient monitor can communicate with thebedside monitor over a wired connection when the first patient monitoris connected to the docking port. In certain aspects, the second patientmonitor can communicate with the bedside monitor over a wired connectionwhen the second patient monitor is connected to the docking stationadapter and the docking station adapter is connected to the dockingport.

In some aspects of the disclosure, a patient monitoring system caninclude a first sensor, a second sensor, and a wireless patient monitorconfigured to receive physiological information from the first sensorand the second sensor. The patient monitoring system can include asingle cable connecting the first sensor and the second sensor to thewireless patient monitor. In certain aspects, the single cable caninclude a first cable section connecting the wireless patient monitorand the first sensor and a second cable section connecting the firstsensor and the second sensor. In certain aspects, the first sensor andthe second sensor can be powered by a shared power line and/or cantransmit signals over a shared signal line.

In some aspects of the disclosure, a patient monitoring system caninclude one or more sensors configured to obtain physiologicalinformation, a patient monitor configured to receive the physiologicalinformation, and a cable hub having one or more inlet connectorsconnected to the one or more sensors and an outlet connector connectedto the patient monitor. In certain aspects, the one or more inletconnectors can be positioned on a first end of the cable hub and theoutlet connector can be positioned on a second end of the cable hub,opposite the first end. In certain aspects, the patient monitor caninclude a wireless transceiver. In certain aspects, the patient monitorcan be configured to be worn by the patient. In certain aspects, thecable hub can be configured to adhere to the patient. In certainaspects, a first cable extends from at least one of the one or moresensors to one of the one or more inlet connectors, and a second cableextends from the outlet connector to the patient monitor.

Some aspects of the disclosure describe a method of using a patientmonitoring system. The method can include providing a wirelesstransceiver having a first end and a second end opposite the first end,a first connector positioned on the first end, and a second connectorpositioned on the second end. The method can include connecting a firstend of a first cable to the first connector, and connecting a first endof a second cable to the second connector. In certain aspects, themethod can include connecting a second end of the first cable to a firstsensor. In certain aspects, the method can include connecting a secondend of the second cable to a second sensor or a cable hub connected toone or more sensors. In certain aspects, the method can includeconnecting a third sensor and/or anchor to the second cable. In certainaspects, the method can include connecting a third cable to a thirdconnector on the second end of the wireless transceiver.

Certain aspects of this disclosure are directed toward a wirelessmonitor including a housing, a battery, and a strap. The housing caninclude one or more outlets configured to receive one or more sensors.The battery can be configured to removably engage the housing. A portionof the strap can be disposed between the housing and the battery whenthe housing is engaged with the battery. In certain aspects, the portionof the strap disposed between the housing and the battery can be aseparately formed component from a remainder of the strap. In certainaspects, the portion of the strap can include one or more matingfeatures configured to mate with corresponding features of the housing.In certain aspects, the one or more mating features are flush with thecorresponding features of the housing. In certain aspects, the housingcan include a recessed portion for receiving the strap.

For purposes of summarizing the disclosure, certain aspects, advantagesand novel features of the inventions have been described herein. It isto be understood that not necessarily all such advantages can beachieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the inventionsdisclosed herein. Thus, the inventions disclosed herein can be embodiedor carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage orgroup of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving otheradvantages as can be taught or suggested herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings. These embodiments are illustrated and describedby example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In the drawings, similar elements have similar referencenumerals.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate embodiments of wireless patient monitoringsystems.

FIGS. 1C and 1D illustrate further embodiments of wireless patientmonitoring systems.

FIG. 1E illustrates the embodiment of the wireless patient monitoringsystem illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B in schematic form.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate embodiments of wireless patient monitoringsystems having a single cable connection system.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrates additional embodiment of patient monitoringsystems.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate embodiments of an optical ear sensor and anacoustic sensor connected via a single cable connection system.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a wireless transceiver that can beused with any of the patient monitoring systems described above.

FIGS. 6A through 6C illustrate additional embodiments of patientmonitoring systems.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a physiological parameter displaythat can be used with any of the patient monitoring systems describedabove.

FIG. 8 illustrates a further embodiment of a patient monitoring system.

FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate an embodiment of a wireless patient monitoringsystem.

FIG. 10 illustrates the embodiment of the wireless patient monitoringsystem illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9D in schematic form.

FIG. 11 illustrates one embodiment of a method of using a wirelesspatient monitoring system.

FIG. 12 illustrates a wireless monitor having a display screen.

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate methods of using a wireless monitor having adisplay screen.

FIGS. 16A-16G illustrate another embodiment of a wireless patientmonitoring system.

FIGS. 17A-17C illustrate another embodiment of a wireless patientmonitoring system.

FIGS. 18A-18C illustrate an animation of patient movement created usinga wireless patient monitor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In clinical settings, medical sensors are often attached to patients tomonitor physiological parameters of the patients. Some examples ofmedical sensors include, but are not limited to, blood oxygen sensors,such as pulse oximetry sensors, acoustic respiratory sensors, EEGs,ECGs, blood pressure sensors, sedation state sensors, etc. Typically,each sensor attached to a patient is connected to a bedside monitoringdevice with a cable. The cables limit the patient's freedom of movementand impede a care providers access to the patient. The cables connectingthe patient to the bedside monitoring device also make it more difficultto move the patient from room to room or switch to different bedsidemonitors.

This disclosure describes embodiments of wireless patient monitoringsystems that include a wireless device coupled to a patient and to oneor more sensors. In one embodiment, the wireless device transmits sensordata obtained from the sensors to a patient monitor. By transmitting thesensor data wirelessly, these patient monitoring systems canadvantageously replace some or all cables that connect patients tobedside monitoring devices. To further increase patient mobility andcomfort, in some embodiments, a single cable connection system is alsoprovided for connecting multiple different types of sensors together.

These patient monitoring systems are primarily described in the contextof an example blood pressure cuff that includes a wireless transceiver.The blood pressure cuff and/or wireless transceiver can also be coupledto additional sensors, such as optical sensors, acoustic sensors, and/orelectrocardiograph sensors. The wireless transceiver can transmit bloodpressure data and sensor data from the other sensors to a wirelessreceiver, which can be a patient monitor. These and other featuresdescribed herein can be applied to a variety of sensor configurations,including configurations that do not include a blood pressure cuff. Inan embodiment, an arm band without a blood pressure cuff can be used tosecure a wireless patient monitor connected to various sensors.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate embodiments of wireless patient monitoringsystems 100A, 100B, respectively. In the wireless patient monitoringsystems 100 shown, a blood pressure device 110 is connected to a patient101. The blood pressure device 110 includes a wireless transceiver 116,which can transmit sensor data obtained from the patient 101 to awireless transceiver 120. Thus, the patient 101 is advantageously notphysically coupled to a bedside monitor in the depicted embodiment andcan therefore have greater freedom of movement.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the blood pressure device 110 a includes aninflatable cuff 112, which can be an oscilometric cuff that is actuatedelectronically (e.g., via intelligent cuff inflation and/or based on atime interval) to obtain blood pressure information. The cuff 112 iscoupled to a wireless transceiver 116. The blood pressure device 110 ais also coupled to a fingertip optical sensor 102 via a cable 107. Theoptical sensor 102 can include one or more emitters and detectors forobtaining physiological information indicative of one or more bloodparameters of the patient 101. These parameters can include variousblood analytes such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, methemoglobin, totalhemoglobin, glucose, proteins, glucose, lipids, a percentage thereof(e.g., concentration or saturation), and the like. The optical sensor102 can also be used to obtain a photoplethysmograph, a measure ofplethysmograph variability, pulse rate, a measure of blood perfusion,and the like.

Additionally, the blood pressure device 110 a is coupled to an acousticsensor 104 a via a cable 105. The cable 105 connecting the acousticsensor 104 a to the blood pressure device 110 includes two portions,namely a cable 105 a and a cable 105 b. The cable 105 a connects theacoustic sensor 104 a to an anchor 104 b, which is coupled to the bloodpressure device 110 a via the cable 105 b. The anchor 104 b can beadhered to the patient's skin to reduce noise due to accidental tuggingof the acoustic sensor 104 a.

The acoustic sensor 104 a can be a piezoelectric sensor or the like thatobtains physiological information reflective of one or more respiratoryparameters of the patient 101. These parameters can include, forexample, respiratory rate, inspiratory time, expiratory time,inspiration-to-expiration ratio, inspiratory flow, expiratory flow,tidal volume, minute volume, apnea duration, breath sounds, rales,rhonchi, stridor, and changes in breath sounds such as decreased volumeor change in airflow. In addition, in some cases the respiratory sensor104 a, or another lead of the respiratory sensor 104 a (not shown), canmeasure other physiological sounds such as heart rate (e.g., to helpwith probe-off detection), heart sounds (e.g., S1, S2, S3, S4, andmurmurs), and changes in heart sounds such as normal to murmur or splitheart sounds indicating fluid overload. In some implementations, asecond acoustic respiratory sensor can be provided over the patient's101 chest for additional heart sound detection. In one embodiment, theacoustic sensor 104 can include any of the features described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/643,939, filed Dec. 21, 2009, titled“Acoustic Sensor Assembly,” the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

The acoustic sensor 104 can be used to generate an exciter waveform thatcan be detected by the optical sensor 102 at the fingertip, by anoptical sensor attached to an ear of the patient (see FIGS. 2A, 3), byan ECG sensor (see FIG. 2C), or by another acoustic sensor (not shown).The velocity of the exciter waveform can be calculated by a processor(such as a processor in the wireless transceiver 120, described below).From this velocity, the processor can derive a blood pressuremeasurement or blood pressure estimate. The processor can output theblood pressure measurement for display. The processor can also use theblood pressure measurement to determine whether to trigger the bloodpressure cuff 112.

In another embodiment, the acoustic sensor 104 placed on the upper chestcan be advantageously combined with an ECG electrode (such as instructure 208 of FIG. 2B), thereby providing dual benefit of two signalsgenerated from a single mechanical assembly. The timing relationshipfrom fidicial markers from the ECG signal, related cardiac acousticsignal and the resulting peripheral pulse from the finger pulseoximeters produces a transit time that correlates to the cardiovascularperformance such as blood pressure, vascular tone, vascular volume andcardiac mechanical function. Pulse wave transit time or PWTT incurrently available systems depends on ECG as the sole reference point,but such systems may not be able to isolate the transit time variablesassociated to cardiac functions, such as the pre-ejection period (PEP).In certain embodiments, the addition of the cardiac acoustical signalallows isolation of the cardiac functions and provides additionalcardiac performance metrics. Timing calculations can be performed by theprocessor in the wireless transceiver 120 or a in distributed processorfound in an on-body structure (e.g., such as any of the devices hereinor below: 112, 210, 230, 402, 806).

In certain embodiments, the wireless patient monitoring system 100 usessome or all of the velocity-based blood pressure measurement techniquesdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,649, filed Apr. 15, 1994, titled“Apparatus and Method for Measuring an Induced Perturbation to DetermineBlood Pressure,” or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,659, filed Jan. 17, 1996,titled “Automatically Activated Blood Pressure Measurement Device,” thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety. An example display related to such blood pressure calculationsis described below with respect to FIG. 7.

The wireless transceiver 116 can transmit data using any of a variety ofwireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2),Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony, infrared, RFID, satellitetransmission, proprietary protocols, combinations of the same, and thelike. The wireless transceiver 116 can perform solely telemetryfunctions, such as measuring and reporting information about the patient101. Alternatively, the wireless transceiver 116 can be a transceiverthat also receives data and/or instructions, as will be described infurther detail below.

The wireless transceiver 120 receives information from and/or sendsinformation to the wireless transceiver 116 via an antenna 122. Incertain embodiments, the wireless transceiver 120 is a patient monitor.As such, the wireless transceiver 120 can include one or more processorsthat process sensor signals received from the wireless transceiver 116corresponding to the sensors 102 a, 102 b, 104, and/or 106 in order toderive any of the physiological parameters described above. The wirelesstransceiver 120 can also display any of these parameters, includingtrends, waveforms, related alarms, and the like. The wirelesstransceiver 120 can further include a computer-readable storage medium,such as a physical storage device, for storing the physiological data.The wireless transceiver 120 can also include a network interface forcommunicating the physiological data to one or more hosts over anetwork, such as to a nurse's station computer in a hospital network.

Moreover, in certain embodiments, the wireless transceiver 116 can sendraw data for processing to a central nurse's station computer, to aclinician device, and/or to a bedside device (e.g., the transceiver116). The wireless transceiver 116 can also send raw data to a centralnurse's station computer, clinician device, and/or to a bedside devicefor calculation, which retransmits calculated measurements back to theblood pressure device 110 (or to the bedside device). The wirelesstransceiver 116 can also calculate measurements from the raw data andsend the measurements to a central nurse's station computer, to a pageror other clinician device, or to a bedside device (e.g., the transceiver116). Many other configurations of data transmission are possible.

In addition to deriving any of the parameters mentioned above from thedata obtained from the sensors 102 a, 102 b, 104, and/or 106, thewireless transceiver 120 can also determine various measures of dataconfidence, such as the data confidence indicators described in U.S.Pat. No. 7,024,233 entitled “Pulse oximetry data confidence indicator,”the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety. The wireless transceiver 120 can also determine a perfusionindex, such as the perfusion index described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,292,883entitled “Physiological assessment system,” the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Moreover, the wirelesstransceiver 120 can determine a plethysmograph variability index (PVI),such as the PVI described in U.S. Publication No. 2008/0188760 entitled“Plethysmograph variability processor,” the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In addition, the wireless transceiver 120 can send data and instructionsto the wireless transceiver 116 in some embodiments. For instance, thewireless transceiver 120 can intelligently determine when to inflate thecuff 112 and can send inflation signals to the transceiver 116.Similarly, the wireless transceiver 120 can remotely control any othersensors that can be attached to the transceiver 116 or the cuff 112. Thetransceiver 120 can send software or firmware updates to the transceiver116. Moreover, the transceiver 120 (or the transceiver 116) can adjustthe amount of signal data transmitted by the transceiver 116 based atleast in part on the acuity of the patient, using, for example, any ofthe techniques described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0119330,filed Jan. 7, 2009, titled “Systems and Methods for Storing, Analyzing,and Retrieving Medical Data,” the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

In alternative embodiments, the wireless transceiver 116 can performsome or all of the patient monitor functions described above, instead ofor in addition to the monitoring functions described above with respectto the wireless transceiver 120. In some cases, the wireless transceiver116 might also include a display that outputs data reflecting any of theparameters described above (see, e.g., FIG. 5). Thus, the wirelesstransceiver 116 can either send raw signal data to be processed by thewireless transceiver 120, can send processed signal data to be displayedand/or passed on by the wireless transceiver 120, or can perform somecombination of the above. Moreover, in some implementations, thewireless transceiver 116 can perform at least some front-end processingof the data, such as bandpass filtering, analog-to-digital conversion,and/or signal conditioning, prior to sending the data to the transceiver120. An alternative embodiment may include at least some front endprocessing embedded in any of the sensors described herein (such assensors 102, 104, 204, 202, 208, 412, 804, 840, 808) or cable hub 806(see FIG. 8).

In certain embodiments, the cuff 112 is a reusable, disposable, orresposable device. Similarly, any of the sensors 102, 104 a or cables105, 107 can be disposable or resposable. Resposable devices can includedevices that are partially disposable and partially reusable. Thus, forexample, the acoustic sensor 104 a can include reusable electronics buta disposable contact surface (such as an adhesive) where the sensor 104a comes into contact with the patient's skin. Generally, any of thesensors, cuffs, and cables described herein can be reusable, disposable,or resposable.

The cuff 112 can also can have its own power (e.g., via batteries)either as extra power or as a sole source of power for the transceiver116. The batteries can be disposable or reusable. In some embodiments,the cuff 112 can include one or more photovoltaic solar cells or otherpower sources. Likewise, batteries, solar sources, or other powersources can be provided for either of the sensors 102, 104 a.

Referring to FIG. 1B, another embodiment of the system 100B is shown. Inthe system 100B, the blood pressure device 110 b can communicatewirelessly with the acoustic sensor 104 a and with the optical sensor102. For instance, wireless transceivers (not shown) can be provided inone or both of the sensors 102, 104 a, using any of the wirelesstechnologies described above. The wireless transceivers can transmitdata using any of a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi(802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony,infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietary protocols,combinations of the same, and the like. The wireless transceivers cantransmit data, raw signals, processed signals, conditioned signals, orthe like to the blood pressure device 110 b. The blood pressure device110 b can transmit these signals on to the wireless transceiver 120. Inaddition, in some embodiments, the blood pressure device 110 b can alsoprocess the signals received from the sensors 102, 104 a prior totransmitting the signals to the wireless transceiver 120. The sensors102, 104 a can also transmit data, raw signals, processed signals,conditioned signals, or the like directly to the wireless transceiver120 or patient monitor. In one embodiment, the system 100B shown can beconsidered to be a body LAN, piconet, or other individual network.

FIGS. 1C and 1D illustrate another embodiment in which a wirelessmonitor 150 is secured to the arm of the patient. The wireless monitor150 is a fully functional stand-alone monitor capable of variousphysiological measurements. The wireless monitor is small and lightenough to comfortably be secured to and carried around on the arm of apatient. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1C, the wireless monitor 150connects to an acoustic respiration sensor 104A on a first side ofpatient monitor 150 and an oximeter sensor 102 on a second side ofpatient monitor 150. This configuration of connected sensors to oppositesides of the monitor prevents cable clutter and entanglements. Thewireless monitor 150 includes a screen 154. The wireless monitor 150couples to and is held to the arm of the patient by arm band 152. InFIG. 1C, the arm band is not an inflatable blood pressure cuff, however,as described with respect to the other figures, the arm band 152 canincorporate a blood pressure cuff for blood pressure readings.

The wireless monitor 150 can transmit data to a bedside monitor usingany of a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi (802.11x),Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony, infrared,RFID, satellite transmission, proprietary protocols, combinations of thesame, and the like.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 1D, the monitor 150 can be docked to adocking station 163. The docking station 163 includes a bedside monitor164 and docking station adapter 160. Docking station adapter 160 adaptsan otherwise incompatible docking port of bedside monitor 164 so thatpatient monitor 150 can dock. The docking station adapter 162 includes aport 162 for docking with the patient monitor 150. When the patientmonitor 150 is physically docked in the docking station adapter 160, thepatient monitor 150 can communicate with the bedside monitor 164 over awired connection.

Also shown in FIG. 1D is handheld patient monitor 166. Handheld monitor166 is configured to dock directly to bedside monitor 164 without theneed for a docking station adapter 162. When the handheld monitor 166 isphysically docked in the bedside monitor 164, the handheld monitor 166can communicate with the bedside monitor 164 over a wired connection.

FIG. 1E illustrates details of an embodiment of the wireless monitoringsystem 100A in a schematic form. Although other types of sensors can beused, the wireless monitoring system 100A is drawn in connection withthe acoustic sensor 104 a and the optical sensor 102. The system 100Asends signals from the acoustic sensor 104 a and the optical sensor 102to the sensor interface 170 and passes the signals to the DSP 172 forprocessing into representations of physiological parameters. In someembodiments, the DSP also communicates with a memory or informationelement, such as a resistor or capacitor, located on one of the sensors,such memory typically contains information related to the properties ofthe sensor that may be useful in processing the signals, such as, forexample, emitter energy wavelengths.

In some embodiments, the physiological parameters are passed to aninstrument manager 174, which may further process the parameters fordisplay. The instrument manager 174 may include a memory buffer 176 tomaintain this data for processing throughout a period of time. Memorybuffer 176 may include RAM, Flash or other solid state memory, magneticor optical disk-based memories, combinations of the same or the like.

The wireless transceiver 120 is capable of wirelessly receiving thephysiological data and/or parameters from DSP 172 or instrument manager174. The bedside monitor 916 can include one or more displays 178,control buttons, a speaker for audio messages, and/or a wireless signalbroadcaster. The wireless transceiver 120 can also include a processor180 to further process the data and/or parameters for display.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate additional embodiments of patient monitoringsystems 200A and 200B, respectively. In particular, FIG. 2A illustratesa wireless patient monitoring system 200A, while FIG. 2B illustrates astandalone patient monitoring system 200B.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2A, a blood pressure device 210 a isconnected to a patient 201. The blood pressure device 210 a includes awireless transceiver 216 a, which can transmit sensor data obtained fromthe patient 201 to a wireless transceiver at 220 via antenna 218. Thewireless transceiver 216 a can transmit data using any of a variety ofwireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2),Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony, infrared, RFID, satellitetransmission, proprietary protocols, combinations of the same, and thelike.

In the depicted embodiment, the blood pressure device 210 a includes aninflatable cuff 212 a, which can include any of the features of the cuff112 described above. Additionally, the cuff 212 a includes a pocket 214,which holds the wireless transceiver 216 a (shown by dashed lines). Thewireless transceiver 216 a can be electrically connected to the cuff 212a via a connector (see, e.g., FIG. 5) in some embodiments. As will bedescribed elsewhere herein, the form of attachment of the wirelesstransceiver 216 a to the cuff 212 a is not restricted to a pocketconnection mechanism and can vary in other implementations.

The wireless transceiver 216 a is also coupled to various sensors inFIG. 2A, including an acoustic sensor 204 a and/or an optical ear sensor202 a. The acoustic sensor 204 a can have any of the features of theacoustic sensor 104 described above. The ear clip sensor 202 a can be anoptical sensor that obtains physiological information regarding one ormore blood parameters of the patient 201. These parameters can includeany of the blood-related parameters described above with respect to theoptical sensor 102. In one embodiment, the ear clip sensor 202 a is anLNOP TC-I ear reusable sensor available from Masimo® Corporation ofIrvine, Calif. In some embodiments, the ear clip sensor 202 a is aconcha ear sensor (see FIGS. 4A and 4B).

Advantageously, in the depicted embodiment, the sensors 202 a, 204 a arecoupled to the wireless transceiver 216 a via a single cable 205. Thecable 205 is shown having two sections, a cable 205 a and a cable 205 b.For example, the wireless transceiver 216 a is coupled to an acousticsensor 204 a via the cable 205 b. In turn, the acoustic sensor 204 a iscoupled to the optical ear sensor 202 a via the cable 205 a.Advantageously, because the sensors 202 a, 204 are attached to thewireless transceiver 216 a in the cuff 212 in the depicted embodiment,the cable 205 is relatively short and can thereby increase the patient's201 freedom of movement. Moreover, because a single cable 205 is used toconnect two or more different types of sensors, such as sensors 202 a,204 a, the patient's mobility and comfort can be further enhanced.

In some embodiments, the cable 205 is a shared cable 205 that is sharedby the optical ear sensor 202 a and the acoustic sensor 204 a. Theshared cable 205 can share power and ground lines for each of thesensors 202 a, 204 a. Signal lines in the cable 205 can convey signalsfrom the sensors 202 a, 204 a to the wireless transceiver 216 a and/orinstructions from the wireless transceiver 216 a to the sensors 202 a,204 a. The signal lines can be separate within the cable 205 for thedifferent sensors 202 a, 204 a. Alternatively, the signal lines can beshared as well, forming an electrical bus.

The two cables 205 a, 205 a can be part of a single cable or can beseparate cables 205 a, 205 b. As a single cable 205, in one embodiment,the cable 205 a, 205 b can connect to the acoustic sensor 204 a via asingle connector. As separate cables, in one embodiment, the cable 205 bcan be connected to a first port on the acoustic sensor 204 a and thecable 205 a can be coupled to a second port on the acoustic sensor 204a.

FIG. 2B further illustrates an embodiment of the cable 205 in thecontext of a standalone patient monitoring system 200B. In thestandalone patient monitoring system 200B, a blood pressure device 210 bis provided that includes a patient monitor 216 b disposed on a cuff 212b. The patient monitor 216 b includes a display 219 for outputtingphysiological parameter measurements, trends, waveforms, patient data,and optionally other data for presentation to a clinician. The display219 can be an LCD display, for example, with a touch screen or the like.The patient monitor 216 b can act as a standalone device, not needing tocommunicate with other devices to process and measure physiologicalparameters. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 216 b can alsoinclude any of the wireless functionality described above. For example,the patient monitor 216 b can transmit data using any of a variety ofwireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2),Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony, infrared, RFID, satellitetransmission, proprietary protocols, combinations of the same, and thelike.

The patient monitor 216 b can be integrated into the cuff 212 b or canbe detachable from the cuff 212 b. In one embodiment, the patientmonitor 216 b can be a readily available mobile computing device with apatient monitoring software application. For example, the patientmonitor 216 b can be a smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), orother wireless device. The patient monitoring software application onthe device can perform any of a variety of functions, such ascalculating physiological parameters, displaying physiological data,documenting physiological data, and/or wirelessly transmittingphysiological data (including measurements or uncalculated raw sensordata) via email, text message (e.g., SMS or MMS), or some othercommunication medium. Moreover, any of the wireless transceivers orpatient monitors described herein can be substituted with such a mobilecomputing device.

In the depicted embodiment, the patient monitor 216 b is connected tothree different types of sensors. An optical sensor 202 b, coupled to apatient's 201 finger, is connected to the patient monitor 216 b via acable 207. In addition, an acoustic sensor 204 b and anelectrocardiograph (ECG) sensor 206 are attached to the patient monitor206 b via the cable 205. The optical sensor 202 b can perform any of theoptical sensor functions described above. Likewise, the acoustic sensor204 b can perform any of the acoustic sensor functions described above.The ECG sensor 206 can be used to monitor electrical activity of thepatient's 201 heart.

Advantageously, in the depicted embodiment, the ECG sensor 206 is abundle sensor that includes one or more ECG leads 208 in a singlepackage. For example, the ECG sensor 206 can include one, two, or threeor more leads. One or more of the leads 208 can be an active lead orleads, while another lead 208 can be a reference lead. Otherconfigurations are possible with additional leads within the samepackage or at different points on the patient's body. Using a bundle ECGsensor 206 can advantageously enable a single cable connection via thecable 205 to the cuff 212 b. Similarly, an acoustical sensor can beincluded in the ECG sensor 206 to advantageously reduce the overallcomplexity of the on-body assembly.

The cable 205 a in FIG. 2B can connect two sensors to the cuff 212 b,namely the ECG sensor 206 and the acoustic sensor 204 b. Although notshown, the cable 205 a can further connect an optical ear sensor to theacoustic sensor 204 b in some embodiments, optionally replacing thefinger optical sensor 202 b. The cable 205 a shown in FIG. 2B can haveall the features described above with respect to cable 205 a of FIG. 2A.

Although not shown, in some embodiments, any of the sensors, cuffs,wireless sensors, or patient monitors described herein can include oneor more accelerometers or other motion measurement devices (such asgyroscopes). For example, in FIG. 2B, one or more of the acoustic sensor204 b, the ECG sensor 206, the cuff 212 b, the patient monitor 216 b,and/or the optical sensor 202 b can include one or more motionmeasurement devices. A motion measurement device can be used by aprocessor (such as in the patient monitor 216 b or other device) todetermine motion and/or position of a patient. For example, a motionmeasurement device can be used to determine whether a patient is sittingup, lying down, walking, or the like.

Movement and/or position data obtained from a motion measurement devicecan be used to adjust a parameter calculation algorithm to compensatefor the patient's motion. For example, a parameter measurement algorithmthat compensates for motion can more aggressively compensate for motionin response to high degree of measured movement. When less motion isdetected, the algorithm can compensate less aggressively. Movementand/or position data can also be used as a contributing factor toadjusting parameter measurements. Blood pressure, for instance, canchange during patient motion due to changes in blood flow. If thepatient is detected to be moving, the patient's calculated bloodpressure (or other parameter) can therefore be adjusted differently thanwhen the patient is detected to be sitting.

A database can be assembled that includes movement and parameter data(raw or measured parameters) for one or more patients over time. Thedatabase can be analyzed by a processor to detect trends that can beused to perform parameter calculation adjustments based on motion orposition. Many other variations and uses of the motion and/or positiondata are possible.

Although the patient monitoring systems described herein, including thesystems 100A, 100B, 200A, and 200B have been described in the context ofblood pressure cuffs, blood pressure need not be measured in someembodiments. For example, the cuff can be a holder for the patientmonitoring devices and/or wireless transceivers and not include anyblood pressure measuring functionality. Further, the patient monitoringdevices and/or wireless transceivers shown need not be coupled to thepatient via a cuff, but can be coupled to the patient at any otherlocation, including not at all. For example, the devices can be coupledto the patient's belt (see FIGS. 3A and 3B), can be carried by thepatient (e.g., via a shoulder strap or handle), or can be placed on thepatient's bed next to the patient, among other possible locations.

Additionally, various features shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B can be changedor omitted. For instance, the wireless transceiver 216 a can be attachedto the cuff 212 without the use of the pocket 214. For example, thewireless transceiver can be sewn, glued, buttoned or otherwise attachedto the cuff using any various known attachment mechanisms. Or, thewireless transceiver 216 a can be directly coupled to the patient (e.g.,via an armband) and the cuff 212 can be omitted entirely. Instead of acuff, the wireless transceiver 216 a can be coupled to a non-occlusiveblood pressure device. Many other configurations are possible.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate further embodiments of a patient monitoringsystem 300A, 300B having a single cable connecting multiple sensors.FIG. 3A depicts a tethered patient monitoring system 300A, while FIG. 3Bdepicts a wireless patient monitoring system 300B. The patientmonitoring systems 300A, 300B illustrate example embodiments where asingle cable 305 can be used to connect multiple sensors, without usinga blood pressure cuff.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the acoustic and ECG sensors 204 b, 206 of FIG. 2are again shown coupled to the patient 201. As above, these sensors 204b, 206 are coupled together via a cable 205. However, the cable 250 iscoupled to a junction device 230 a instead of to a blood pressure cuff.In addition, the optical sensor 202 b is coupled to the patient 201 andto the junction device 230 a via a cable 207. The junction device 230 acan anchor the cable 205 b to the patient 201 (such as via the patient'sbelt) and pass through any signals received from the sensors 202 b, 204b, 206 to a patient monitor 240 via a single cable 232.

In some embodiments, however, the junction device 230 a can include atleast some front-end signal processing circuitry. In some embodiments,the junction device 230 a also includes a processor for processingphysiological parameter measurements. Further, the junction device 230 acan include all the features of the patient monitor 216 b in someembodiments, such as providing a display that outputs parametersmeasured from data obtained by the sensors 202 b, 204 b, 206.

In the depicted embodiment, the patient monitor 240 is connected to amedical stand 250. The patient monitor 240 includes parameter measuringmodules 242, one of which is connected to the junction device 230 a viathe cable 232. The patient monitor 240 further includes a display 246.The display 246 is a user-rotatable display in the depicted embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the patient monitoring system 300B includes nearlyidentical features to the patient monitoring system 300A. However, thejunction device 230 b includes wireless capability, enabling thejunction device 230 b to wirelessly communicate with the patient monitor240 and/or other devices. The wireless patient monitoring system 300Bcan transmit data using any of a variety of wireless technologies, suchas Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellulartelephony, infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietaryprotocols, combinations of the same, and the like.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate embodiments of patient monitoring systems400A, 400B that depict alternative cable connection systems 410 forconnecting sensors to a patient monitor 402. Like the cable 205described above, these cable connection systems 410 can advantageouslyenhance patient mobility and comfort.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the patient monitoring system 400A includes apatient monitor 402 a that measures physiological parameters based onsignals obtained from sensors 412, 420 coupled to a patient. Thesesensors include an optical ear sensor 412 and an acoustic sensor 420 inthe embodiment shown. The optical ear sensor 412 can include any of thefeatures of the optical sensors described above. Likewise, the acousticsensor 420 can include any of the features of the acoustic sensorsdescribed above.

The optical ear sensor 412 can be shaped to conform to the cartilaginousstructures of the ear, such that the cartilaginous structures canprovide additional support to the sensor 412, providing a more secureconnection. This connection can be particularly beneficial formonitoring during pre-hospital and emergency use where the patient canmove or be moved. In some embodiments, the optical ear sensor 412 canhave any of the features described in U.S. application Ser. No.12/658,872, filed Feb. 16, 2010, entitled “Ear Sensor,” the disclosureof which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

An instrument cable 450 connects the patient monitor 402 a to the cableconnection system 410. The cable connection system 410 includes a sensorcable 440 connected to the instrument cable 250. The sensor cable 440 isbifurcated into two cable sections 416, 422, which connect to theindividual sensors 412, 420 respectively. An anchor 430 a connects thesensor cable 440 and cable sections 416, 422. The anchor 430 a caninclude an adhesive for anchoring the cable connection system 410 to thepatient, so as to reduce noise from cable movement or the like.Advantageously, the cable connection system 410 can reduce the numberand size of cables connecting the patient to a patient monitor 402 a.The cable connection system 410 can also be used to connect with any ofthe other sensors, patient-worn monitors, or wireless devices describedabove.

FIG. 4B illustrates the patient monitoring system 400B, which includesmany of the features of the monitoring system 400A. For example, anoptical ear sensor 412 and an acoustic sensor 420 are coupled to thepatient. Likewise, the cable connection system 410 is shown, includingthe cable sections 416, 422 coupled to an anchor 430 b. In the depictedembodiment, the cable connection system 410 communicates wirelessly witha patient monitor 402 b. For example, the anchor 430 b can include awireless transceiver, or a separate wireless dongle or other device (notshown) can couple to the anchor 430 b. The anchor 430 b can be connectedto a blood pressure cuff, wireless transceiver, junction device, orother device in some embodiments. The wireless transceiver, wirelessdongle, or other device can transmit data using any of a variety ofwireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2),Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony, infrared, RFID, satellitetransmission, proprietary protocols, combinations of the same, and thelike.

FIG. 5 illustrates a more detailed embodiment of a wireless transceiver516. The wireless transceiver 516 can have all of the features of thewireless transceiver 516 described above. For example, the wirelesstransceiver 516 can connect to a blood pressure cuff and to one or morephysiological sensors, and the transceiver 516 can transmit sensor datato a wireless receiver. The wireless transceiver 516 can transmit datausing any of a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi(802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony,infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietary protocols,combinations of the same, and the like.

The depicted embodiment of the transceiver 516 includes a housing 530,which includes connectors 552 for sensor cables (e.g., for optical,acoustic, ECG, and/or other sensors) and a connector 560 for attachmentto a blood pressure cuff or other patient-wearable device. Thetransceiver 516 further includes an antenna 518, which although shown asan external antenna, can be internal in some implementations.

The transceiver 516 can include one or more connectors on one or moresides of the housing 530. Providing connectors on different sides of thehousing 530 allows for convenient sensor connection and prevents thesensor cables from tangling. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, thehousing can include two connectors 552 on a first side of the housing530 and an additional connector 560 on a second side of the housing 530.

In addition, the transceiver 516 includes a display 554 that depictsvalues of various parameters, such as systolic and diastolic bloodpressure, SpO2, and respiratory rate (RR). The display 554 can alsodisplay trends, alarms, and the like. The transceiver 516 can beimplemented with the display 554 in embodiments where the transceiver516 also acts as a patient monitor. The transceiver 516 further includescontrols 556, which can be used to manipulate settings and functions ofthe transceiver 516.

FIGS. 6A through 6C illustrate embodiments of wireless patientmonitoring systems 600. These wireless patient monitoring systems cantransmit data using any of a variety of wireless technologies, such asWi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellulartelephony, infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietaryprotocols, combinations of the same, and the like.

FIG. 6A illustrates a patient monitoring system 600A that includes awireless transceiver 616, which can include the features of any of thetransceivers 116, 216 a described above. The transceiver 616 provides awireless signal over a wireless link 612 to a patient monitor 620. Thewireless signal can include physiological information obtained from oneor more sensors, physiological information that has been front-endprocessed by the transceiver 616, or the like.

The patient monitor 620 can act as the wireless transceiver 220 of FIG.2. The patient monitor 620 can process the wireless signal received fromthe transceiver 616 to obtain values, waveforms, and the like for one ormore physiological parameters. The patient monitor 620 can perform anyof the patient monitoring functions described above with respect toFIGS. 2 through 5.

In addition, the patient monitor 620 can provide at least some of thephysiological information received from the transceiver 616 to amulti-patient monitoring system (MMS) 640 over a network 630. The MMS640 can include one or more physical computing devices, such as servers,having hardware and/or software for providing the physiologicalinformation to other devices in the network 630. For example, the MMS640 can use standardized protocols (such as TCP/IP) or proprietaryprotocols to communicate the physiological information to one or morenurses' station computers (not shown) and/or clinician devices (notshown) via the network 630. In one embodiment, the MMS 640 can includesome or all the features of the MMS described in U.S. Publication No.2008/0188760, referred to above.

The network 630 can be a LAN or WAN, wireless LAN (“WLAN”), or othertype of network used in any hospital, nursing home, patient care center,or other clinical location. In some implementations, the network 210 caninterconnect devices from multiple hospitals or clinical locations,which can be remote from one another, through the Internet, one or moreIntranets, a leased line, or the like. Thus, the MMS 640 canadvantageously distribute the physiological information to a variety ofdevices that are geographically co-located or geographically separated.

FIG. 6B illustrates another embodiment of a patient monitoring system600B, where the transceiver 616 transmits physiological information to abase station 624 via the wireless link 612. In this embodiment, thetransceiver 616 can perform the functions of a patient monitor, such asany of the patient monitor functions described above. The transceiver616 can provide processed sensor signals to the base station 624, whichforwards the information on to the MMS 640 over the network 630.

FIG. 6C illustrates yet another embodiment of a patient monitoringsystem 600B, where the transceiver 616 transmits physiologicalinformation directly to the MMS 640. The MMS 640 can include wirelessreceiver functionality, for example. Thus, the embodiments shown inFIGS. 6A through 6C illustrate that the transceiver 616 can communicatewith a variety of different types of devices.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a physiological parameter display700. The physiological parameter display 700 can be output by any of thesystems described above. For instance, the physiological parameterdisplay 700 can be output by any of the wireless receivers,transceivers, or patient monitors described above. The parameter display700 can be output over a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi(802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony,infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietary protocols,combinations of the same, and the like. Advantageously, in certainembodiments, the physiological parameter display 700 can displaymultiple parameters, including noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP)obtained using both oscillometric and non-oscillometric techniques.

The physiological parameter display 700 can display any of thephysiological parameters described above, to name a few. In the depictedembodiment, the physiological parameter display 700 is shown displayingoxygen saturation 702, heart rate 704, and respiratory rate 706. Inaddition, the physiological parameter display 700 displays bloodpressure 708, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

The display 700 further shows a plot 710 of continuous or substantiallycontinuous blood pressure values measured over time. The plot 710includes a trace 712 a for systolic pressure and a trace 712 b fordiastolic pressure. The traces 712 a, 712 b can be generated using avariety of devices and techniques. For instance, the traces 712 a, 712 bcan be generated using any of the velocity-based continuous bloodpressure measurement techniques described above and described in furtherdetail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,590,649 and 5,785,659, referred to above.

Periodically, oscillometric blood pressure measurements (sometimesreferred to as Gold Standard NIBP) can be taken, using any of the cuffsdescribed above. These measurements are shown by markers 714 on the plot710. By way of illustration, the markers 714 are “X's” in the depictedembodiment, but the type of marker 714 used can be different in otherimplementations. In certain embodiments, oscillometric blood pressuremeasurements are taken at predefined intervals, resulting in themeasurements shown by the markers 714.

In addition to or instead of taking these measurements at intervals,oscillometric blood pressure measurements can be triggered using ICItechniques, e.g., based at least partly on an analysis of thenoninvasive blood pressure measurements indicated by the traces 712 a,712 b. Advantageously, by showing both types of noninvasive bloodpressure measurements in the plot 710, the display 700 can provide aclinician with continuous and oscillometric blood pressure information.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of a patient monitoring system800. The features of the patient monitoring system 800 can be combinedwith any of the features of the systems described above. Likewise, anyof the features described above can be incorporated into the patientmonitoring system 800. Advantageously, in the depicted embodiment, thepatient monitoring system 800 includes a cable hub 806 that enables oneor many sensors to be selectively connected and disconnected to thecable hub 806.

Like the patient monitoring systems described above, the monitoringsystem 800 includes a cuff 810 with a patient device 816 for providingphysiological information to a monitor 820 or which can receive powerfrom a power supply (820). The cuff 810 can be a blood pressure cuff ormerely a holder for the patient device 816. The patient device 816 caninstead be a wireless transceiver having all the features of thewireless devices described above. The wireless transceiver can transmitdata using any of a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi(802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellular telephony,infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietary protocols,combinations of the same, and the like.

The patient device 816 is in coupled with an optical finger sensor 802via cable 807. Further, the patient device 816 is coupled with the cablehub 806 via a cable 805 a. The cable hub 806 can be selectivelyconnected to one or more sensors. In the depicted embodiment, examplesensors shown coupled to the cable hub 806 include an ECG sensor 808 aand a brain sensor 840. The ECG sensor 808 a can be single-lead ormulti-lead sensor. The brain sensor 840 can be an electroencephalography(EEG) sensor and/or an optical sensor. An example of EEG sensor that canbe used as the brain sensor 840 is the SEDLine™ sensor available fromMasimo® Corporation of Irvine, Calif., which can be used fordepth-of-anesthesia monitoring among other uses. Optical brain sensorscan perform spectrophotometric measurements using, for example,reflectance pulse oximetry. The brain sensor 840 can incorporate both anEEG/depth-of-anesthesia sensor and an optical sensor for cerebraloximetry.

The ECG sensor 808 a is coupled to an acoustic sensor 804 and one ormore additional ECG leads 808 b. For illustrative purposes, fouradditional leads 808 b are shown, for a 5-lead ECG configuration. Insome embodiments, one or two additional leads 808 b are used instead offour additional leads. In some embodiments, up to at least 12 leads 808b can be included. Acoustic sensors can also be disposed in the ECGsensor 808 a and/or lead(s) 808 b or on other locations of the body,such as over a patient's stomach (e.g., to detect bowel sounds, therebyverifying patient's digestive health, for example, in preparation fordischarge from a hospital). Further, in some embodiments, the acousticsensor 804 can connect directly to the cable hub 806 instead of to theECG sensor 808 a.

As mentioned above, the cable hub 806 can enable one or many sensors tobe selectively connected and disconnected to the cable hub 806. Thisconfigurability aspect of the cable hub 806 can allow different sensorsto be attached or removed from a patient based on the patient'smonitoring needs, without coupling new cables to the monitor 820.Instead, a single, light-weight cable 832 couples to the monitor 820 incertain embodiments, or wireless technology can be used to communicatewith the monitor 820 (see, e.g., FIG. 1). A patient's monitoring needscan change as the patient is moved from one area of a care facility toanother, such as from an operating room or intensive care unit to ageneral floor. The cable configuration shown, including the cable hub806, can allow the patient to be disconnected from a single cable to themonitor 820 and easily moved to another room, where a new monitor can becoupled to the patient. Of course, the monitor 820 may move with thepatient from room to room, but the single cable connection 832 ratherthan several can facilitate easier patient transport.

Further, in some embodiments, the cuff 810 and/or patient device 816need not be included, but the cable hub 806 can instead connect directlyto the monitor wirelessly or via a cable. Additionally, the cable hub806 or the patient device 816 may include electronics for front-endprocessing, digitizing, or signal processing for one or more sensors.Placing front-end signal conditioning and/or analog-to-digitalconversion circuitry in one or more of these devices can make itpossible to send continuous waveforms wirelessly and/or allow for asmall, more user-friendly wire (and hence cable 832) routing to themonitor 820.

The cable hub 806 can also be attached to the patient via an adhesive,allowing the cable hub 806 to become a wearable component. Together, thevarious sensors, cables, and cable hub 806 shown can be a completebody-worn patient monitoring system. The body-worn patient monitoringsystem can communicate with a patient monitor 820 as shown, which can bea tablet, handheld device, a hardware module, or a traditional monitorwith a large display, to name a few possible devices.

FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate another embodiment of a wireless monitoringsystem 900 including a wireless monitor 902 coupled to a sensor 930. Thewireless monitoring system 900 is configured to connect to one or moresensors and/or a bedside monitor. The features of the wirelessmonitoring system 900 can be combined with any of the features of thesystems described above. Likewise, any of the features described abovecan be incorporated into the patient monitoring system 900. The wirelessmonitor 902 includes a removable battery 904 having a data storagecomponent. The removable battery 904 can be used to pair the wirelessmonitor 902 with the correct bedside monitor as described below. Thebattery 904 is positioned on the front side of the wireless monitor 902,so the battery 904 can be replaced without disconnecting a wirelessmonitor housing from the patient. Further details of these drawings aredescribed below.

FIG. 10 illustrates details of an embodiment of the wireless monitoringsystem 900 in a schematic form. Typically, the sensor 930 includesenergy emitters 1016 located on one side of a patient monitoring site1018 and one or more detectors 1020 located generally opposite. Thepatient monitoring site 1018 is usually a patient's finger (aspictured), toe, ear lobe, or the like. Energy emitters 1016, such asLEDs, emit particular wavelengths of energy through the flesh of apatient at the monitoring site 1018, which attenuates the energy. Thedetector(s) 1020 then detect the attenuated energy and sendrepresentative signals to the wireless monitor 902.

The wireless monitor 902 can include a sensor interface 1024 and adigital signal processor (DSP) 1026. The sensor interface 1024 receivesthe signals from the sensor 930 detector(s) 1020 and passes the signalsto the DSP 1026 for processing into representations of physiologicalparameters. In some embodiments, the DSP 1026 also communicates with amemory or information element, such as a resistor or capacitor, 1030located on the sensor 930, such memory typically contains informationrelated to the properties of the sensor that may be useful in processingthe signals, such as, for example, emitter 1016 energy wavelengths.

In some embodiments, the physiological parameters are passed to aninstrument manager 1028, which may further process the parameters fordisplay by a bedside monitor 916. The instrument manager 1028 mayinclude a memory buffer 1034 to maintain this data for processingthroughout a period of time. Memory buffer 1034 may include RAM, Flashor other solid state memory, magnetic or optical disk-based memories,combinations of the same or the like.

In some embodiments, the wireless monitor is able to display one or morephysiological parameters. The wireless monitor 902 can include one ormore displays 1036, control buttons 1040, one or more speakers 1038 foraudio messages. Control buttons 1040 may comprise a keypad, a fullkeyboard, a touch screen, a track wheel, and the like.

The wireless monitor 902 is powered by a battery 904. In someembodiments, the battery 904 directly or indirectly powers the sensorinterface 1024, DSP 1026, and the instrument manager 1028.

The battery 904 includes memory 932, such memory stores wirelesscommunication information needed for the wireless monitor 902 towirelessly communicate with bedside monitor 916. The battery 904 cancommunicate the information stored on the memory 932 to the wirelessmonitor 902 or bedside monitor 916, and the memory 932 can storeinformation received from the wireless monitor 902 or bedside monitor916.

The bedside monitor 916 wirelessly receives the physiological dataand/or parameters from the wireless monitor 902 and is able to displayone or more physiological parameters. The bedside monitor 916 caninclude one or more displays 1008, control buttons 1010, a speaker 1012for audio messages, and/or a wireless signal broadcaster. Controlbuttons 1010 may comprise a keypad, a full keyboard, a track wheel, andthe like.

As shown in FIG. 10, the wireless monitor 902 can include an optionalinternal battery 905 capable of powering the wireless monitor 902 whenthe battery 904 is disconnected from the wireless monitor 902. Theinternal battery 905 can include additional backup memory 933 to storeinformation when the battery 904 is disconnected from the wirelessmonitor 902. The internal battery 905 can be useful when a caregiverreplaces the battery 904 with a different, fully-charged battery. Whilethe battery 904 is disconnected from the wireless monitor 902, thewireless monitor 902 can continue to display and communicateinformation.

In several embodiments, the wireless patient monitoring system includesone or more sensors, including, but not limited to, a sensor 930 tomonitor oxygen saturation and pulse rate. These physiological parameterscan be measured using a pulse oximeter. In general, the sensor 930 haslight emitting diodes that transmit optical radiation of red andinfrared wavelengths into a tissue site and a detector that responds tothe intensity of the optical radiation after absorption (e.g. bytransmission or transreflectance) by pulsatile arterial blood flowingwithin the tissue site. Based on this response, a processor determinesmeasurements for SpO₂, pulse rate, and can output representativeplethsmorgraphic waveforms. Thus, “pulse oximetry” as used hereinencompasses its broad ordinary meaning known to one of skill in the art,which includes at least those noninvasive procedures for measuringparameters of circulating blood through spectroscopy.

The wireless monitoring system 900 can include any of the sensorsdescribed herein in addition to or in alternative to the pulse oximeter.For example, the wireless monitoring system 900 can also include sensorsfor monitoring acoustics, sedation state, blood pressure, ECG, bodytemperature, and/or cardiac output. The wireless monitor may alsoinclude an accelerometer or gyroscope. The wireless patient monitoringsystem may include any of the above-mentioned sensors alone or incombination with each other.

In several embodiments, the wireless monitor 902 includes a wirelesstransmitter to transmit sensor data and/or a wireless receiver toreceive data from another wireless transmitter or transceiver. Bytransmitting the sensor data wirelessly, the wireless monitor 902 canadvantageously replace some or all cables that connect patients tobedside monitoring devices. Alternatively, the wireless monitor 902calculates physiological parameters based on the sensor data andwirelessly transmits the physiological parameters and/or the sensor dataitself to the bedside monitor. The physiological parameter can benumerical information, such as oxygen saturation (SpO₂) or pulse rate,or a graphical depiction of the sensor data. The data processors can bepositioned in the wireless monitor housing or the battery. Byconfiguring the wireless monitor 902 to calculate the physiologicalparameter, less data transfer is required to transmit information fromthe wireless monitor to the bedside monitor. Processing the sensor datain the wireless monitor 902 also improves the quality of the signaltransferred to the bedside monitor.

As shown in FIGS. 9B-9C, the wireless monitor 902 includes a removablebattery 904 and a base 906. The base 906 can include processing andwireless transmission capabilities and/or share processing function withthe battery 904. Removable battery 904 includes a release mechanism 912to release the battery 904 from the base 906. As depicted in FIG. 9B,the base 906 can include a battery receiving portion 914 and a notch 917to lock the removable battery 904 in place. Wireless monitor 902 canhave one or more outlets 910 to plug in the sensor 930, such as thepulse oximeter, acoustic respiratory sensor, ECG, sedation sensor, bloodpressure cuff, or any other sensor. In some embodiments, one or moreoutlets 910 can be positioned on one or more sides of the wirelessmonitor 902. For example, the wireless monitor can include an outlet onone side for an acoustic respiratory sensor and an outlet on an oppositeside for a pulse oximeter.

Wireless monitor 902 can include an opening 908 through which an armband 934 can be passed to secure the wireless monitor 902 to the arm ofthe patient, as shown in FIG. 9A. The arm band 934 can be reusable,disposable or resposable. Similarly, any of the sensors 930 can bedisposable or resposable. Resposable devices can include devices thatare partially disposable and partially reusable. Thus, for example, theacoustic sensor can include reusable electronics, but a disposablecontact surface (such as an adhesive) where the sensor comes intocontact with the patient's skin.

The sensors 930 and/or wireless monitor 902 need not be worn around thepatient's arm, but can be worn at any other location, including not atall. The sensors 930 and/or wireless monitor 902 need not be coupled toan arm band, but can be coupled to a patient's belt or a chest strap,can be carried by the patient (e.g., via a shoulder strap or handle), orcan be placed on the patient's bed next to the patient, among otherlocations.

FIG. 9D illustrates the battery 904 docked with a bedside monitor 916.Bedside monitor 916 has a battery charging station 922 for receiving andcharging removable battery 904. When the wireless monitor 902 is using afirst battery, the battery charging station 922 can charge a secondbattery, so when the battery levels of the first battery are low, asecond battery is readily available. Each battery is capable of poweringthe wireless monitor 902 for at least one nursing shift, so each nurseonly has to replace the battery once either at the beginning or end ofeach shift.

An adapter 918 can be integrated with the bedside monitor or separatelyconnected to bedside monitor 916. The bedside monitor 916 includes arelease mechanism 926 to release the adaptor 918 from the bedsidemonitor 916. Adaptor 918 includes docking station 920 to receive theentire wireless monitor (not shown). Locking mechanism 924 holds thewireless monitor 902 in place. Other components may be connected to thebedside monitor 916 instead of the adaptor 918, such as a handheldpatient monitor device.

In some embodiments, the adaptor 918 includes a docking station 920 toreceive the entire wireless monitor 902. The wireless monitor 902 can beplaced in the docking station 920 when it is not in use to prevent thewireless monitor 902 from being lost. The bedside monitor 916 can chargethe battery 904 when the wireless monitor 902 is connected to thebedside monitor 916. In certain aspects, the bedside monitor 916 cancommunicate a password, unique identifier, appropriate channelinformation, or other wireless communication information to the wirelessmonitor 902, and vice versa, when the wireless monitor 902 is connectedto the bedside monitor 916.

As shown in FIG. 9D, the bedside monitor 916 is capable ofsimultaneously receiving a first battery and a wireless monitor 902having a second battery. The bedside monitor 916 is configured to chargeand sync both the first and second batteries. When the first batteryand/or the wireless monitor 902 and second battery are physically dockedin the bedside monitor 916, the first and/or second battery cancommunication with the bedside monitor 916 over a wired connection.

The bedside monitor 916 can include a display screen 928 for displayingthe physiological parameters, including trends, waveforms, relatedalarms, and the like. In certain aspects, the bedside monitor 916 candisplay the appropriate channel for communication and/or whether thewireless monitor 902 is properly communicating with the bedside monitor916.

The bedside monitor 916 can include a computer-readable storage medium,such as a physical storage device, for storing the physiological data.In certain aspects, the bedside monitor can include a network interfacefor communicating the physiological data to one or more hosts over anetwork, such as to a nurse's station computer in a hospital network.

The wireless monitor 902 can transmit data to the bedside monitor 916using any of a variety of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi(802.11x), Bluetooth, ZigBee, cellular telephony, infrared, RFID,satellite transmission, proprietary protocols, combinations of the same,and the like. The wireless monitor 902 can perform solely telemetryfunctions, such as measuring and reporting information about thepatient.

The wireless monitor 902, or any of the wireless monitor embodimentsdiscussed herein, can be configured to utilize different wirelesstechnologies. In certain scenarios, it may be desirable to transmit dataover Bluetooth or ZigBee, for example, when the distance between thewireless monitor 902 and the bedside monitor 916 is within range ofBluetooth or ZigBee communication. Transmitting data using Bluetooth orZigBee is advantageous because these technologies require less powerthan other wireless technologies. In other scenarios, it may bedesirable to transmit data using Wi-Fi or cellular telephony, forexample, when the wireless monitor is out of range of communication forBluetooth or ZigBee. A wireless monitor 902 may be able to transmit dataover a greater distance using Wi-Fi or cellular telephony than otherwireless technologies. In still other scenarios, it may be desirable totransmit data using a first wireless technology and automatically switchto a second wireless technology in order to maximize data transfer andenergy efficiency.

In some embodiments, the wireless monitor 902 automatically transmitsdata over Bluetooth or ZigBee when the wireless monitor 902 is within apre-determined distance from bedside monitor 916. The wireless monitor902 automatically transmits data over Wi-Fi or cellular telephony whenthe wireless monitor 902 is beyond a pre-determined distance away fromthe bedside monitor 916. In certain embodiments, the wireless monitor902 can automatically convert from Bluetooth or ZigBee to Wi-Fi orcellular telephony, and vice versa, depending on the distance betweenthe wireless monitor 902 and bedside monitor 916.

In some embodiments, the wireless monitor 902 automatically transmitsdata over Bluetooth or ZigBee when the Bluetooth or ZigBee signalstrength is sufficiently strong or when there is interference with Wi-Fior cellular telephony. The wireless monitor 902 automatically transmitsdata over Wi-Fi or cellular telephony when the Bluetooth or ZigBeesignal strength is not sufficiently strong. In certain embodiments, thewireless monitor 902 can automatically convert from Bluetooth or ZigBeeto Wi-Fi or cellular telephony, and vice versa, depending on signalstrength.

Existing wireless bedside monitoring devices can be difficult to usebecause it can be difficult to pair the wireless device with the correctbedside monitor, making it difficult to switch wireless devices orswitch bedside monitors. Some wireless systems require the care providerto program the wireless device to communicate with the correct patientmonitor. Other wireless systems require a separate token or encryptionkey and several steps to pair the wireless device with the correctbedside monitors. Some systems require the token to be connected to thebedside monitor, then connected to the wireless device, and thenreconnected to the bedside monitor.

In certain scenarios, it may be desirable to share wirelesscommunication information between a wireless monitor 902 and a bedsidemonitor 916 without a separate token or encryption key. In someembodiments, the removable battery 904 includes a data storagecomponent, such as memory 932, capable of storing wireless communicationinformation. The battery 904 is configured to connect to both thewireless monitor 902 and the bedside monitor 916. Combining the battery904 with a data storage component can decrease the total number ofcomponents and decrease the number of steps it takes to transferwireless communication information between the wireless monitor 902 andbedside monitor 916 because a separate token or encryption key is notneeded. This method of data transfer also eliminates user input errorsarising from users having to program the wireless monitor 902 and/orbedside monitor 916 and allows for easy transfer of wirelesscommunication information between the wireless monitor 902 and bedsidemonitor 916.

For security purposes, it may be desirable to use security tokens toensure that the correct bedside monitor 916 receives the correctwirelessly transmitted data. Security tokens prevent the bedside monitor916 from accessing the transmitted data unless wireless monitor 902 andbedside monitor 916 share the same password. The password may be a word,passphrase, or an array of randomly chosen bytes.

When the battery 904 is connected to the bedside monitor 916, thebedside monitor 916 can communicate a password to the battery 904, andthe battery 904 stores the password on its data storage component. Thebattery 904 can communicate a password for the wireless monitor 902 tothe bedside monitor 916. The battery 904 can then be disconnected fromthe bedside monitor 916 and connected to the wireless monitor 902. Whenthe battery 904 is connected to the wireless monitor 902, the battery904 can communicate the password to the wireless monitor 902. Thewireless monitor 902 can then communicate wirelessly with the correctbedside monitor 916.

In some scenarios, it may be desirable to pair the wireless monitor 902with the bedside monitor 916 to avoid interference from other wirelessdevices. When the removable battery 904 is connected to the bedsidemonitor 916, the bedside monitor 916 communicates a unique identifier tothe battery 904, and the battery 904 stores the unique identifier on itsdata storage component. The battery 904 can communicate a uniqueidentifier for the wireless monitor 902 to the bedside monitor 916. Thebattery 904 can then be disconnected from the bedside monitor 916 andconnected to the wireless monitor 902. When the battery 904 is connectedto the wireless monitor 902, the battery 904 can communicate the uniqueidentifier to the wireless monitor 902, so that the wireless monitor 902can transmit data to the correct bedside monitor 916.

In some scenarios, it is desirable for the wireless monitor 902 to beconfigured to transmit data over the correct channel. Channels provide amechanism to avoid sources of wireless interference. When the removablebattery 904 is connected to the bedside monitor 916, the bedside monitor916 communicates the appropriate channel to the battery 904, and thebattery 904 stores the channel information on its data storagecomponent. If necessary, the battery 904 can communicate a wirelessmonitor channel the bedside monitor 916. The battery 904 is thendisconnected from the bedside monitor 916 and connected to the wirelessmonitor 902. When the battery 904 is connected to the wireless monitor902, the battery 904 can communicate the appropriate channel informationto the wireless monitor 902, thereby ensuring the wireless monitor 902transmits data over the correct channel.

The battery 904, or any battery embodiment described herein, can receiveor communicate any one or combination of passwords, tokens, or channelsas described above. The wireless communication information can includeinformation to communicate over each protocol the wireless monitor 902is configured to communicate over. For example, if the wireless monitor902 is capable of communicating over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, then thebattery 904 is capable of receiving wireless communication informationto communicate over both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

In some scenarios, the method in any of the above mentionedmethodologies may be reversed. For example, in some embodiments, thebattery 904 is initially connected to the wireless monitor 902. When thebattery 904 is connected to the wireless monitor 902, the wirelessmonitor 902 can communicate wireless communication informationidentifying the wireless monitor 902 to the battery 904, and the battery904 can store the information on its data storage component. The batterycan communicate wireless communication information identifying thebedside monitor 916 to the wireless monitor 902. After the battery 904is disconnected from the wireless monitor 902, the battery 904 isconnected to the bedside monitor 916. The battery 904 can thencommunicate wireless communication information stored on the datastorage component to the bedside monitor 916, such as a password, uniqueidentifier, channel, or other data information.

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment for using the wireless patientmonitoring system that can be used in connection with any wirelesspatient monitoring system described herein. The operator connects theremovable battery to the bedside monitor (block 1102) and the bedsidemonitor and the battery communicate wireless communication informationwith each other (block 1104). The operator then disconnects the batteryfrom the bedside monitor (block 1106) and connects the battery to thewireless monitor (block 1108). The battery and the wireless monitorcommunicate wireless communication information with each other (block1110). After the wireless monitor receives data from the one or moresensors (block 1112), the wireless monitor processes the sensor datainto representations of physiological parameters (block 1114). Thewireless monitor then wireless communicates the physiological parametersand/or the sensor data to the bedside monitor (block 1116).

In some embodiments, the data storage component of the battery 904stores wireless communication information related to the wirelessmonitor 902. The wireless communication information can be a password,unique identifier, channel, etc. When the battery 904 is engaged withthe bedside monitor 916, the bedside monitor 916 can communicatewireless communication information to the battery 904, and the battery904 can communicate wireless communication information to the bedsidemonitor 916. The battery 904 is then disconnected from the bedsidemonitor 16 and connected to the wireless monitor 902. Since the battery904 already communicated the wireless communication information to thebedside monitor 916, the battery 904 provides all remaining wirelesscommunication information to the wireless monitor. The wireless monitorreconfigures itself according to the information on the battery and nofurther information is required to be communicated with the bedsidemonitor 916. This reduces the total number of steps necessary to pairthe wireless monitor 902 with the correct bedside monitor 916.

FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of the wireless patient monitor1202. The features of the wireless patient monitor 1202 can be combinedwith any of the features of the systems described above. Likewise, anyof the features described above can be incorporated into the patientmonitor 1202.

As shown in FIG. 12, the wireless patient monitor 1202 can include ahousing 1205 that removably engages a battery 1204. The monitor 1202 caninclude a release mechanism 1212 for releasing the battery 1204 from thehousing 1206 and/or one or more outlets 1210 for engaging one or moresensors.

The wireless patient monitor 1202 can include a wireless transceivercapable of transmitting data using any of a variety of wirelesstechnologies, such as Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee(802.15.4), cellular telephony, infrared, RFID, satellite transmission,proprietary protocols, combinations of the same, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 12, the battery 1204 can include a display screen 1240.The display screen 1240 can indicate any number of parameters,including, but not limited to, physiological parameters, battery levels,and wireless signal strength. Positioning the display screen 1240 on thebattery 1204 helps reduce the size of the housing.

The display screen 1240 can include a touch interface to permit a userto access different parameters or settings (e.g., display settings,connectivity settings, etc.). In certain aspects, the display screen1240 can rotate depending on the orientation of the battery 1204.

To save energy, the display screen 1240 can selectively display certainparameters depending on the location of the battery 1204. For example,if the battery is connected to the bedside monitor or disconnected fromthe wireless monitor, the battery may only display battery levels. Ifthe battery is connected to the wireless monitor, then the battery maydisplay additional parameters other than battery levels.

The display screen 1240 can selectively display certain parametersdepending on the distance between the wireless monitor 1202 and thebedside monitor 1216. Referring to FIG. 13, if the wireless monitor 1202is within a predetermined distance from the bedside monitor—(block1300), then the display screen 1240 deactivates (block 1302). If thewireless monitor 1202 is not within a predetermined distance from thebedside monitor (block 1300), then the display screen 1240 initializes(block 1304). The display screen 1240 only needs to be active when thepatient is not close to the bedside monitor.

The display screen 1240 can selectively display certain parametersdepending on the type of wireless connection between the wirelessmonitor 1202 and the bedside monitor and/or hospital IT infrastructure.Referring to FIG. 14, if the wireless monitor 1202 wirelesslycommunicates physiological parameters and/or sensor data over Bluetooth(block 1410), then the display screen deactivates (block 1412). If thewireless monitor 1202 wirelessly communicates physiological parametersand/or sensor data over Wi-Fi (block 1414), then the display screen 1240initializes (block 1416).

The wireless monitor 1202 can selectively transmit information overdifferent wireless connections and display certain parameters dependingon the distance between the wireless monitor 1202 and the bedsidemonitor. Referring to FIG. 15, if the wireless monitor 1202 is within apredetermined distance from the bedside monitor (block 1520), then thewireless monitor 1202 wirelessly communicates physiological parametersand/or sensor data to the bedside monitor over Bluetooth (block 1522).If the wireless monitor 1202 wirelessly communicates to the bedsidemonitor over Bluetooth (block 1522), then the display screen 1240deactivates (block 1524). The display screen 1240 does not need to beactive since the bedside monitor is nearby.

If the wireless monitor 1202 is not within a predetermined distance fromthe bedside monitor (block 1520), then the wireless monitor 1202wirelessly communicates physiological parameters and/or sensor data tothe bedside monitor over Wi-Fi (block 1526). If the wireless monitor1202 wireless communicates to the bedside monitor over Wi-Fi (block1526), then the display screen 1240 initializes (block 1528). If thewireless monitor 1202 is communicating over Wi-Fi, then it is morelikely that the patient is not in the patient room. In that case, it isnecessary to have a secondary display screen available to monitor thepatient's physiological parameters.

Although FIGS. 14 and 15 were discussed in reference to Bluetooth andWi-Fi, the system can wirelessly communication information over ZigBeeor cellular telephony. Also, the system may convert from a firstwireless technology (e.g., Bluetooth) to a second wireless technology(Wi-Fi) based on signal strength rather than distance.

The wireless monitor 1202 can help the hospital staff monitor thepatient when the patient is not close to the bedside monitor. When thepatient is close to the bedside monitor, the bedside monitor will notifythe staff if any of the patient's physiological parameters are irregularby activating an audible alarm and/or by alerting a staff member usingthe hospital IT infrastructure. When the patient is more than apre-determined distance from the bedside monitor, the wireless monitor1202 can send the physiological parameters and/or sensor data directlyover the hospital IT infrastructure, so the hospital staff cancontinuously monitor the patient at the nurse's station or any otherlocation. If the patient exhibits any irregular physiologicalparameters, the wireless monitor 1202 can activate an audible alarmand/or alert a staff member using the hospital IT infrastructure. Thewireless monitor 1202 can use triangulation to provide the location ofthe patient, so the staff member can quickly find the patient. Byconfiguring the wireless monitor 1202 to process the sensor data, thewireless monitor 1202 is capable of communicating physiologicalparameters over the hospital IT infrastructure without the bedsidemonitor.

Any of the systems described herein can include a display screen and canbe configured to carry out any of the methods described in FIGS. 13-15.

FIGS. 16A-F illustrate another embodiment of a wireless patientmonitoring system. The features of the wireless patient monitoringsystem can be combined with any of the features of the systems describedabove. Likewise, any of the features described above can be incorporatedinto the wireless patient monitoring system.

FIG. 16A illustrates the wireless monitor 1602 with the battery 1604detached from the base 1606. The base 1606 can include processing andwireless transmission capabilities and/or share processing function withthe battery 1604. The battery 1602 removably engages an anterior surfaceof the base 1606. The battery 1602 can engage the housing 1602 via amagnet, a clip, a band, a snap fit, a friction fit, or otherwise. Thehousing 1602 can include one or more outlets 1610 for engaging one ormore sensors 1630. As shown in FIG. 16A, the housing 1206 can include anoutlet on one end of the housing and another outlet on the opposite endof the housing. Disposing outlets on opposite ends of the housing can beuseful to prevent sensor cables from tangling.

The battery 1604 can include a display screen 1640 and a user inputdevice 1644. The user input device can activate the screen, adjustdisplay settings, select physiological parameters to display, and/orotherwise control the display screen 1640. As shown in FIG. 16A, theuser input device 1644 can be a touch pad. A user can tap the touch padto select a feature and/or swipe in different directions to changeselections. For example, the user can swipe right or left to change theparameters displayed on the display screen. Other functions can also beperformed using the three inputs of the touch pad—left swipe, rightswipe, and tap. Other user input devices 1644 can include one or morebuttons, switches, or other control. In certain aspects, the displayscreen can be the user input device.

FIG. 16B illustrates a strap 1646 for securing the wireless monitor 1602to the patient. The strap 1646 can include any fabric, elastic, orotherwise flexible material. In certain aspects, the strap 1646 can bewaterproof. One or both ends of the strap 1646 can be tapered. One orboth ends of the strap 1646 can include a covering to protect the strapends.

The strap 1646 can be secured to the patient as an arm band, a shoulderstrap, a belt, or in any other configuration. A portion of the strap1646 can be secured to another portion of the strap 1646 using Velcro1660, clasps, adhesive, snap-fits, or any other connector. The strap1646 can include a band (not shown) for securing an excess portion ofthe strap 1646.

As shown in FIG. 16B, the strap 1646 can include a connector 1650 forengaging the wireless monitor 1602 and an adjustment mechanism 1648 toadjust the length of the strap 1646 and/or secure any excess strap 1646.The connector 1650 can be an integral portion of the strap 1646 or aseparately formed component secured to the strap 1646. As shown in FIG.16B, the connector 1650 can include an opening 1656 on opposite sides ofthe connector 1650 for securing either end of the strap 1646. One orboth ends of the strap 1646 can be removably secured to the connector1650.

In certain aspects, the connector 1650 engages the housing by beingdisposed between the base 1606 and the battery 1604. At least a portionof the connector 1650 can overlay a portion of the housing. Theconnector 1650 can include certain features to mate with a correspondingfeature of the base 1606 and/or battery 1604. For example, the connector1650 can include one or more recesses 1652 configured to mate with oneor more protrusions 1658 on the base 1606. As shown in FIG. 16C, theconnector 1650 can include a recess 1652 on opposite ends of theconnector 1650 that mate with protrusions 1658 on opposite ends of thebase 1606. The connector 1650 can be flush with the protrusions 1658 toprovide a flat surface for the battery 1604.

In other aspects, the connector 1650 can pass through an opening of thewireless monitor. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the wireless monitorcan include an opening 1208 for engaging the strap 1646. In still otheraspects, the connector 1650 can engage the wireless monitor 1602 usingclips, ties, buckles, buttons, or any other connector.

The wireless monitor 1602 can include a wireless transceiver capable oftransmitting data using any of a variety of wireless technologies, suchas Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellulartelephony, infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietaryprotocols, combinations of the same, and the like.

FIGS. 16D-16F illustrate a bedside monitor 1616 configured to receivethe wireless monitor 1602. The bedside monitor can include one or moreinput ports 1627 configured to receive cables. In certain aspects, thebedside monitor 1616 can include a port 1617 configured to receive ahandheld device, such as the handheld monitor 166 shown in FIG. 1D.Further details about the handheld device can be found in U.S.application Ser. No. 13/651,167, filed Oct. 12, 2012, entitled “MedicalMonitoring Hub,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

The port 1617 can removably engage an adapter 1618. For example, theadapter 1618 can include a release mechanism 1626 to release the adapter1618 from the port 1617. In certain aspects, the release mechanism 1626is studded, so a user must use one or more tools to release the releasemechanism 1626.

The adapter 1618 can be configured to receive a battery 1604 and/or awireless monitor 1602. The adapter 1618 can include a docking adaptordoor 1620 configured to receive the stand alone battery 1604 and/or anda port for receiving a the wireless monitor 1602 including a battery1604. In certain aspects, as shown in FIG. 16F, the docking adaptor door1620 can pivot to facilitate insertion and removal of the wirelessmonitor 1602. When the battery 1604 and/or wireless monitor 1602 havinga battery 1604 is physically connected to the adapter 1618, thebatteries 1606 can charge and can communicate and/or receive informationfrom the bedside monitor 1616 over a wired connection.

FIGS. 17A-17C illustrate another embodiment of a wireless monitor 1702.The wireless monitor 1702 can include any of the other wireless monitorfeatures described herein. Likewise, any of the other wireless monitorembodiments discussed herein can include any of the features of thewireless monitor 1702.

The wireless monitor 1702 can include a battery 1704 removably engagedwith a base 1706. The base 1706 can include processing and wirelesstransmission capabilities and/or share processing function with thebattery 1704. FIG. 17A illustrates an exploded view of the wirelessmonitor 1702. The housing can include one or more outlets 1710configured to connect to one or more sensors (not shown). The batterycan include a display 1740 capable of displaying physiologicalparameters, connectivity information, and/or other content. The battery1704 can include a touch pad 1744 or other user input device. The touchpad 1744 can permit the user to swipe right, swipe left, or tap tocontrol the wireless monitor 1702. The battery 1704 can include anadditional user input device (e.g., button 1745) that canactivate/deactivate the wireless monitor or provide other functionality.

The battery can include one or more protrusions, ribs, struts, detents,or the like configured to be received in corresponding grooves, notches,recesses, openings, or the like in the base 1706. FIG. 17B illustratesviews of an inner portion of the battery 1704 and an inner portion ofthe housing. The battery 1704 can include two protrusions 1741 on eachend of the battery 1704 and along an inner portion of the battery 1704.One or more of the protrusions 1741 can be a different size or shapefrom the other protrusions 1741. The base 1706 can include two grooves1743 on each end of the base 1706 and along an inner portion of the base1706. Each of the grooves 1743 can be configured to receive one of theprotrusions 1741. One or more of the grooves 1743 can be a differentsize or shape from the other grooves 1743. FIG. 17C illustrates aperspective view of the battery 1704 engaged with the base 1706.

The wireless monitor 1702 can include a wireless transceiver capable oftransmitting data using any of a variety of wireless technologies, suchas Wi-Fi (802.11x), Bluetooth (802.15.2), Zigbee (802.15.4), cellulartelephony, infrared, RFID, satellite transmission, proprietaryprotocols, combinations of the same, and the like.

As described above, any of the wireless monitoring systems describedherein can include an accelerometer or gyroscope that can be used todetect one or more of patient orientation, patient movement, whether thepatient is falling, or the like. In certain aspects, the wirelessmonitoring system can include an alert system to alert the care giverthat the patient is falling, getting out of bed, or otherwise moving ina prohibited manner. The alert can be an audible and/or visual alarm onthe monitoring system or transmitted to a caregiver (e.g., nurses'station, pager, home computer, or otherwise).

In certain aspects, the information received by the accelerometer orgyroscope can be used to create an indication and/or animation ofpatient movement. This animation can be displayed on the patient monitoror transmitted to a nurses station or other off-site location to enablethe care giver to monitor the patient. The animation can be viewed realtime and/or be recorded for playback. For example, if an alarm alertsthe care giver that the patient has fallen out of bed, the care givercan be presented playbacks of one or more of the patient's movementduring that period of time.

FIGS. 18A-18C illustrate examples of the animation that can be displayedon a bedside monitor, nurses' station monitor, or other display screen.FIG. 18A illustrates a patient lying in bed 1801, and the patientrolling over 1803. FIG. 18B illustrates the patient lying in bed 1805,and the patient sitting up 1807. FIG. 18C illustrates the patient lyingin bed 1809, and the patient getting out of bed 1811. Other patientmovements can also be illustrated, such as a patient falling, walking,or otherwise. Depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, orfunctions of any of the methods described herein can be performed in adifferent sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g.,not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of themethod). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can beperformed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing,interrupt processing, or multiple processors, rather than sequentially.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, andalgorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosedherein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, orcombinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability ofhardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules,circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms oftheir functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented ashardware or software depends upon the particular application and designconstraints imposed on the overall system. The described functionalitycan be implemented in varying ways for each particular application, butsuch implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing adeparture from the scope of the disclosure.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits describedin connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implementedor performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signalprocessor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device,discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or anycombination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor can be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with theembodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in asoftware module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two.A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory,EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, aCD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Anexemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processorcan read information from, and write information to, the storage medium.In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor.The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC canreside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and thestorage medium can reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “may,”“might,” “could,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whilesome embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/orsteps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required forone or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in theform and details of the device or process illustrated can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will berecognized, certain embodiments of the inventions described herein canbe embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features andbenefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practicedseparately from others. The scope of the inventions is indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changeswhich come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims areto be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless patient monitoring system comprising:one or more optical sensors configured to obtain physiologicalinformation; a wireless monitor configured to receive the physiologicalinformation and to wirelessly transmit physiological data reflective ofthe physiological information to a bedside monitor, and a removablebattery, the removable battery including a data storage component thatreceives communication configuration data from a bedside monitor whenphysically connected to the bedside monitor and transmits thecommunication configuration data to the wireless monitor when theremovable battery is physically connected to the wireless monitor inorder to facilitate communication between the wireless monitor and abedside monitor, wherein the wireless monitor accesses the data storagecomponent when the battery is connected to the wireless monitor andreconfigures wireless communication parameters of the wireless monitoraccording to the communication configuration data.
 2. The wirelesspatient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the data storage componentis configured to store information communicated from the bedsidemonitor.
 3. The wireless patient monitoring system of claim 1, whereinthe wireless monitor is configured to be coupled to an arm band attachedto the patient.
 4. The wireless patient monitoring system of claim 1,wherein the bedside monitor is configured to receive the removablebattery.
 5. The wireless patient monitoring system of claim 1, whereinthe bedside monitor is configured to receive the wireless monitor. 6.The wireless patient monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the wirelessmonitor is configured to automatically transmit physiological data overa first wireless technology when a signal strength of the first wirelesstechnology allows physiological data to be transmitted over the firstwireless technology and automatically transmit physiological data over asecond wireless technology when a signal strength of the first wirelesstechnology does not allow the physiological data to be transmitted overthe first wireless technology.
 7. The wireless patient monitoring deviceof claim 1, wherein the wireless monitor is configured to transmitphysiological data over a first wireless technology when the wirelessmonitor and the bedside monitor are within a range that allows wirelesscommunication over the first wireless technology and transmitphysiological data over a second wireless technology when the wirelessmonitor and the bedside monitor are not within the range that allowswireless communication over the first wireless technology.
 8. Thewireless patient monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the removablebattery includes a display.
 9. The wireless patient monitoring device ofclaim 8, wherein the display is configured to activate when the wirelessmonitor transmits physiological data over a first wireless technologyand deactivate when the wireless monitor transmits physiological dataover a second wireless technology.